By Ines Min
It was in the tense hunch of a shoulder, the slow rhythm of the head bang, the foot tapping to the beat — the unmistakable signs of a musician going full throttle, into the classic melodies that defined an era.
Eric Clapton moved the Korean audience once more in his third concert here Sunday, at the Gymnastics Stadium of Olympic Park. His latest international tour kicked off on Feb. 11 in the United Arab Emirates, and his third show revealed a still timeless, if weary, Clapton.
Enthused fans entered the sold-out venue in pairs, weaving lines in front of each entrance minutes before the curtain rose. Clapton and his band — a tour lineup that includes the famed Steve Gadd on drums, Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon on keys, and Willie Weeks on bass — jumped straight into the show with “Key to the Highway.”
The opening number saw Clapton warm up to the stage immediately, as he rocked and plucked on his characteristic sky blue Fender Stratocaster. Dressed in a casual blue plaid shirt and black denim, the guitarist rang clear across the packed house, the simplicity of his vocals against strings reverberating in the ears of the devout masses.
Dramatic black-outs concluded each of the 18 songs played, ranging from his classics “I Shot the Sheriff” to smooth recent hits such as “Rocking Chair,” from his latest album “Clapton” (2010).
A brief break saw the musician switch over to an acoustic for the emotional “Driftin’” before the crowd cheered as one for the popular “Nobody Knows You.”
As fervently and precisely as he struck the chords, Clapton, 65, showed signs of mortality as he had to catch his breath between songs and broke into a light sweat.
Luckily, neither his cracking blues call nor his robust rock have lost any of the signature sound, as the guitarist maintained an aura of intimate invincibility whenever mid-song. He kept stoic throughout, however, limiting stage banter to variations on the requisite: “Thank you.”
Keys players Stainton and Carmon stepped out of the foreground to share the applause, as each played their share of instrumentally loquacious, ornate solos in well-known hits like “Queen of Spades” and “When Somebody Thinks.”
While Gadd, Weeks, and background singers Sharon White and Michelle John stayed unfortunately out of the spotlight (interestingly, Carmon received two callouts by Clapton), their consistent skills and professionalism also proved a mainstay to the performance.
Clapton transferred to the sleekly dark Gibson 335 for “River Runs Deep” and the all-time favorite “Layla.”
“Badge” proved to be the call to stand as audiences in the pit pushed back their seats and an extravagant light show lit up the corners of the stadium. Clapton returned to his Fender for the remaining setlist, wooing the romantics with “Wonderful Tonight” and pleasing fans with a vibrant rendition of “Cocaine.”
The latter came with the breaking down of all the crowd’s inhibitions, as middle-aged men pointed their hands in the air, women waved their arms, and foreigners and natives alike sang along with the legend.
Clapton satiated with an encore of “Further on Up the Road,” before giving three bows with his band and a farewell accentuated with a thumbs up.
The crowd continued to chant for minutes following the departure, as house lights stayed off and mills of devoted fans eagerly scoured the darkened stage for more.
Once the venue was re-lit, the soft murmur of a collective sigh filled the air, though the disappointment was a mere undertone to the ambiance of contentment.
After all, it’d take more than the glare of a bulb to erase the lasting image of Clapton at one on his stage — guitar in hand, lips to the mic.